"He's good in all aspects" - Shamil Gasanov stacks praise on well-rounded Halil Amir before ONE Fight Night 26 showdown

Shamil Gasanov believes he is closing in on a shot at the ONE featherweight MMA world title. However, the Russian superstar knows he'll need to get past one of the most complete fighters in the division to do just that.

'The Cobra' crosses paths with Turkish warrior Halil Amir at ONE Fight Night 26 on Friday, Dec. 6. On a run of two back-to-back victories over Oh Ho Taek and Aaron Canarte, the Russian martial artist aims to continue his positive momentum inside the Lumpinee Stadium in Bangkok, Thailand.

As a fighter who always comes prepared for the worst-case scenario, Shamil Gasanov has gone the extra mile to prepare himself and analyze what his opposite number brings to the table. From that, the No.4-ranked athlete concludes that Amir has the goods to make life troublesome for him on fight night.

The 29-year-old told ONE Championship:

"[Amir is] a big guy, an excellent striker, and a southpaw. His wrestling is solid, too. He's good in all aspects."

As good as the Turk sensation has been, he heads into this contest with his back against the wall.

After stringing together three wins in succession at lightweight, 'No Mercy' had a featherweight debut to forget against Kyrgyzstan powerhouse Akbar Abdullaev at ONE Fight Night 22 this past May.

With that loss still playing on his mind, Amir should come into this fight well aware of Gasanov's expertise. But the same can be said for 'The Cobra' who has left no stone unturned to ensure he gets his hand raised inside the Mecca of Muay Thai come Dec. 6.

North American fans with an active Amazon Prime Video subscription can catch the entire ONE Fight Night 26 card live in U.S. primetime for free.

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Shamil Gasanov reveals the 'living legend' that inspired him to chase greatness in MMA

Like all Dagestani talents, only one name comes to Shamil Gasanov's mind when it comes to his source of inspiration: Former UFC lightweight king Khabib Nurmagomedov.

In a previous interview with ONE Championship, the Russian fighter had this to say on how the now-retired fighter's success made him shoot for the stars in his budding career:

“In Dagestan, we have a large number of title-holders in various disciplines. One of our living legends is Khabib Nurmagomedov."

“His achievements have motivated all the Dagestani athletes to strive for success through hard work and dedication," he added.